Sabrina Carpenter is accurate in saying that her latest album is “not for the pearl clutchers.” The pop singer, best known for her fun, flirty and risqué songwriting, has once again taken the world by storm with her latest piece: “Man’s Best Friend.”
As a fan who has been listening to her music for years, Carpenter’s choices for this album visually, lyrically and sonically do not come by surprise. The singer received a lot more fame and attention in the media within the past year after her hit single, Espresso, blew up last summer.
From controversies surrounding the album’s visuals, to discourse about her lyric choices, Carpenter’s bold new album certainly has people talking. After a few listens, here are my thoughts on each song.
Manchild: Honestly, when this single was released, it was not my favorite. The song doesn’t speak to me lyrically or sonically, and I think it’s a boring choice for a single track—especially after hearing the rest of the album. The “country twang” sound that Carpenter has been using for more recent songs isn’t my style, but I will admit this song has definitely grown on me. I catch myself singing along whenever I hear it.
Tears: Instant 10/10. This song is so much fun. It’s provocative and playful, which is what I always expect of Sabrina Carpenter. I love the ‘80s disco vibe, and I think it was a great choice as a single for the album. The music video featuring Colman Domingo paired nicely with the song, and I loved the homage to “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
My Man on Willpower: I really like this song sonically. It’s fun to sing along to, and the chorus is super catchy overall.
Sugar Talking: Such a cool, sultry song. I think this song, along with “When Did You Get Hot?”, are the songs that stand out against the others on the album.
We Almost Broke Up Again Last Night: I really do love this track, but I can’t help but think about the ripped pants song from “Spongebob” every time I hear it. Aside from that factor, I’d consider it to be my top five on the album. I love a good ballad, so this song speaks to me in that aspect. The lyrics were easy to catch on to after the first listen.
Nobody’s Son: If you’re familiar with Sabrina’s music, you’ll get what I mean when I say “Nobody’s Son” is the little sister of “Slim Pickins.’” Once again, Sabrina Carpenter humorously writes about giving up on dating after an unsuccessful relationship.
Never Getting Laid: I absolutely love this song. It’s really catchy, and the ending portion is the best part.
When Did You Get Hot?: This song is so Sabrina Carpenter. She definitely shows off her sense of humor and personality on this track with her witty and unserious lyrics. I love how different it sounds in comparison to every other song on this album. For me, this is easily my favorite song on “Man’s Best Friend.”
Go Go Juice: It’s your standard Carpenter vibe, but as I mentioned before, I’m not a big fan of the country-esque sound from her. It’s not my favorite, but it’s still pretty good. The indirect name drops of her exes by mentioning similar sounding names is hilariously iconic and very “Thank U, Next” of her.
Don’t Worry I’ll Make You Worry: This song feels like a dramatic romcom scene in all the best ways. I could see this playing on the soundtrack for a show like “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”
House Tour: I love the groovy disco beat on this song. It’s a true pop song with fun metaphors and bold lyricism.
Goodbye: This song was just okay to me. In my opinion, it was pretty basic and a little forgettable. It surely didn’t stand out to me like some of the other tracks, but it makes sense that it was the concluding track on the album.
At the moment, I would rate this album a 7.5/10, with my favorite tracks being “When Did You Get Hot?”, “We Almost Broke Up Again,” “Nobody’s Son” and “Tears.”
Overall, I think it’s a pretty solid album. It reminds me a lot of “Short N’ Sweet,” which I still have on repeat to this day. I also enjoyed the fact that Sabrina was able to make an album with a distinct sound. The songs blend together effortlessly and don’t all sound alike.
“Man’s Best Friend” is an album that I would describe as amusing, exciting and unapologetically Sabrina Carpenter. While it may not be my favorite project of hers currently, I can definitely see this album growing on me over time, especially since I love so many of the tracks.

